Well pumping apparatus



Feb. 23, 1943. E J WEATHERBY 2,311,893

WELL PUMPING APPARATUS Filed March 17, 1941 GEAR TRAIN HYDRAULIC COUPLING ELECTRIC MOTOR INVENTOR E. J. WEATHERBY BY M7 Fixin Patented Feb. 23, i943 FFicE WELL PUltIPING APPARATUS Eugene J. Weatherby, Bartlesville, kla., assignor to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation of Delaware Application March 17, 1941, Serial No. 383,839 3'Claims. (Cl. 10346) This invention relates to an apparatus for pumping wells, including deep hydrocarbon wells. This invention is especially adapted to the pumping of such wells by an apparatus wherein the energy developed bya rotating prime mover is converted into reciprocating en-- ergy for actuating a reciprocating pump through the coaction of hydraulic means to thereby minimize shock loads and prolong the useful life of the pumping equipment.-

Two general. classes of pumping equipment are principally used in pumping fluids from underground reservoirs. These pumps are classified as the centrifugal and reciprocating. types. Centrifugal pumps are directly connected to the prime mover by means of a rotatable drive shaft. During the past few years, certain reciprocating pumps have been devised to operate by means of a high pressure fluid which is conveyed to the pump from the surface of the ground. This type of pump has certain advantages over the common type of reciprocating well pump which isactuated by means of a string of sucker rods from the' surface of the ground. All of the aforementioned types ofsubsurface pumps, however, have a certain degree of inflexibility in opapparatus of the character indicatedwhichis adapted to economically andgefiectively pump wells, including hydrocarbon oil wells.

These and additional objects and advantages will be apparent to persons skilled in the art by.

reference to the following description and annexed drawing, which is an elevation view of a I I preferred embodiment of my invention.

. conventional type of reciprocating pump, gen

eration, since the transmission of power from the prime mover to the pump is direct and positive. Hence, excessive loading of, the pump or shock loads, caused by changes in the direction of motion of moving parts of the pumping equip. ment, must be absorbed by the'p'rime mover or the auxiliary equipment.- These conditions are especially noticeable in sucker rod actuated reciprocating pumps, where breakage of the sucker rods is a major cause of repair to the pumping equipment. V

By the practice of my instant invention, '1 am able to operate any type of down-hole equipment which has moving parts subject to external loading without causing excessive loading of any of said moving parts. Further, I am able to transmit power for pumping fluids from underground reservoirs regardless of the depth from which the fluid must be raised, and by'the application of my invention to a reciprocating pump, I can provide a positive displacement pump for lifting fluids from great depths without the em-- ployment of expensive equipment, such as sucker rods, rig fronts, counterbalanceweights andthe like. 7 It is therefore the primary object of this invention to minimize shock loads in well pumping equipment.

Another object of this invention is to provide tain amount of Referring to the drawing I have denoted therein a well bore I which extends downwardly from and serves the dual purpose of supporting a erally indicated by reference numeral 3, at its lower end and of conveying well fluid from the pump upwardly to the surface of the ground. Secured to the lower portion ofthe'pump is a gear train assembly '4 whichvis operatively connected to the pump and to a rotatable shaft'l to convert the rotational motion of this shaft into reciprocating motion in the pump. Shaft 5 is also connected to afluid drive, such as a hydraulic coupling or clutch {which in turn is connected by a second rotatable shaft 1 to a prime mover 8, such as the electric motor des-.

ignated in the drawing. A conductor cable 0 transmits electrical energyto 'themotor from a suitable sourceof electricity at the surface of the ground. While an electric motor is recom my invention; itis tori type of prime mover. which will operate satisfactorily to perform its mended in the practice of be understood that any intended function in a well bore may be used.

In operation, the electrical energy that is f transmitted to. motor 8, by means of cable 9, is converted by the motor into mechanical energy to thereby rotate shaft I. The rotational motion of shaft 1 is" in turn transmitted through hydraulic coupling or clutch 6 to shaft 5. Through the coaction of gear train 4, rotation of shaft 5 is transformed into reciprocating motion of the usual piston within positive displacement pump 3. The gear train to the surface of the ground. If the pum lj fi a uniform load at all times, its number of strokes per unit time will be substantially constant. On

the other hand, if the load on the pump varies,

the operating speed ofthe pump will not be uniform, as the hydraulic coupling allows a cer-' Supt! greater than the usual load, is placed on the A string also functions as a speed re- I vducer between the electric motor and the pump.

when a load, which is pump. This causes shaft 5 to slow down, and causes the reciprocating pump to operate more slowly. Thus, the "slip in the hydraulic coupling relieves the pump and gear amembly of any excessive stresses and prevents overloading of the prime mover.

From the foregoing, it is belived that the apparatus for practicing my instant invention will be readily comprehended by persons skilled in the art. It is to be clearly understood, however, that various changes in the apparatus herewith shown and described may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for pumping wells, the combination comprising a rotary prime mover disposed in a well bore, a fluid pump including a piston reciprocable therein in the well bore, and means for converting rotational motion in the prime mover into reciprocating motion of the piston, said means including a fluid coupling wherein shock loads in the apparatus dm'ing pumping operations are eifectively minimized.

2. In apparatus for pumping wells, the combination comprising a rotary prime mover disposed in a. well bore, a fluid pump including a piston reciprocable therein in the well bore, and means intermediate the prime mover and the pump for converting rotational motion in the prime mover into reciprocating motion of the piston, said means including a gear train and a fluid coupling wherein shock loads in the apparatus during pumping operations are effectively minimized.

3. In apparatus for pumping wells. the combination comprising an electric motor and a pump including a piston reciprocable therein disposed in spaced relationship in a well bore, means between the electric motor and the pump for converting rotational motion in the motor into reciprocating motion of the piston, said means including a gear train and a fluid coupling, the latter minimizing shock loads in the apparatus during pumping operations.

EUGENE J. WEATHERBY. 

